Sefer Chasidim (1047) If a stingy man said to his wife, know that if you give anything to charity I will beat or curse you. Since the charity collector knows that the husband does not approve he should not take even a small amount from her. But if the community makes a decree to give charity and the husband violates the ban, if the wife gives in compliance with the decree a blessing will come upon her. Furthermore, if the husband steals his wife or son should return the theft.
Monday, May 13, 2024
Honesty
Sefer Chasidim (51) One is forbidden to engage in fraudulent and deceptive words, nor should he speak with one thing on his tongue and another in the heart. Rather let his insides be one with his word and that in his heart be that in his mouth. It is forbidden to deceive people including the gentile. And those who insult gentiles during an exchange of greetings while the gentile thinks that he means well, are sinners, for there is no greater deception than this
Liz Cheney Fact-Checks Republican's Donald Trump Claim
https://www.newsweek.com/liz-cheney-fact-checks-doug-burgum-trump-negotiate-terrorists-claim-1899643
Former Representative Liz Cheney, a Wyoming Republican, fact-checked Republican North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum's claim on Saturday that former President Donald Trump does not negotiate with terrorists.
Cheney, who served Wyoming's at-large district from 2017 to 2023, responded to a clip of Burgum's speech and wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday evening, "Actually, @GovDougBurgum, Trump didn't just negotiate with terrorists, he invited the Taliban to Camp David on the anniversary of 9/11 and had his Secretary of State sign a surrender agreement with them."
BeHa”B
https://ohr.edu/this_week/insights_into_halacha/9340
The custom of utilizing these specific days for prayer and supplication is already mentioned almost 900 years ago by the Baalei Tosafos, its importance reiterated by the Tur, and unbeknownst to many, actually codified in halacha by the Shulchan Aruch as a proper minhag.[4]
Home In My Opinion WATCH OUT FOR EXCESS
https://www.rabbiwein.com/blog/watch-out-for-excess-678.html
With the blessed advent of prosperity and even affluence in much of the Jewish world today, the standards to measure excess and the definition of moderate living have certainly undergone a major change than those of the generations of our ancestors in Eastern Europe or the mellahs of the Near East. Rabbi Yisrael of Salant, the founder of the nineteenth century Mussar ethical movement in Lithuania, commented that luxuries are eventually transformed into necessities. Nevertheless, excess can still be recognized for what it is even in today's more affluent and comfortable society. "Behab" therefore still has an important lesson to teach us. Many times in life, less is truly more. Judaism does not encourage or preach poverty as a positive way of life. Yet the Talmud teaches us that "poverty is becoming to Israel." Poverty here means the avoidance of excess and the living of a life of balance, moderation and goodness to others. In our stressful world, the conviction that moderation in our lives is the best spiritual choice that we can make for ourselves can help us to live a more serene and fulfilling life.
Fighting and dying alongside men for decades, female soldiers finally get their due
According to Women Warriors, 47 female IDF soldiers were killed on October 7, and five more have been killed in the line of duty near Gaza, on the northern border and in the West Bank in the months since.
In April, the Israel Defense Forces said it had seen a massive spike in female conscripts joining combat units during the war. During the March-April conscription cohort, the turnout for female troops in combat units hit 157 percent, meaning 57% more than planned for.
Israel knows location of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, but he is using hostages as human shields: reports
January it was reported
The Israeli military knows the location of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar but has not launched strikes against him because he is using Israeli hostages as human shields, according to multiple reports in Israeli media.
So why are some people saying that if only Biden revealed Sinwar's location that there would have been no need for fighting in Gaza
Garnel IronheartMay 12, 2024 at 10:08 PM
Maybe, but here's the bigger question:
Since Israel invaded Gaza, it has made its aims clear:
1) retrieve the hostages
2) get Hamas to surrender
Biden, who has been moving towards open support for Hamas for the last couple of months and seems incredibly desperate for Rafiach not to fall, suddenly announces he has intel - he knows where Hamas' leaders are!
Now, the same guy who's complaining that Israel has killed too many civilians (and as the guy who botched the withdrawal from Afghanistan, he knows all about killing civilians), the same state department that announced "We can't find any evidence that Israel committed war crimes but we're sure they did, we just know it!", suddenly announce that they have information that could end the war. Why did they not announce this 3 months ago and save thousands of civilian lives in Gaza? Why wait until now?
Yahya Sinwar is hiding in Khan Yunis, not Rafah - report
https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-800805
Hamas' leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, is still hiding in tunnels under Khan Yunis, not in Rafah, American officials told the New York Times on Sunday.
According to the cited anonymous American officials, Israeli intelligence agencies agree that Sinwar and other Hamas leaders are not hiding in Rafah and are likely still under Khan Yunis, a city north of Rafah that the IDF pulled out of in early April. The officials added that they don't believe Sinwar was ever hiding in Rafah.
The architect of the October 7 massacre is also believed to be protecting himself with a group of Israeli hostages he uses as human shields in order to stop Israel from raiding or bombing his hideout, US and Israeli officials told the New York Times.
U.S. officials: Hamas leaders, including Sinwar, not in Rafah - report
Despite Israel's extensive intelligence capabilities, American officials assert that the United States is sharing all relevant information regarding Sinwar's whereabouts with Israel.
US Ambassador Lew: 'Despite tension, no fundamental changes in US-Israel ties'
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/389851
US Ambassador to Israel Jacob Lew said in an interview with Chanel 12's Yonit Levi that despite the apparent tensions, nothing has fundamentally changed in the relationship between the US and Israel.
Man who received first pig kidney transplant dies
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4n1l9g2wn9o
The first man to receive a genetically modified pig kidney transplant has died two months after the operation, the hospital which carried out the procedure has said.
U.S. cites intelligence, offers Israel supplies to limit Rafah operation
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/11/us-israel-rafah-invasion-palestinians-evacuation/
The Biden administration has made an internal assessment that Hamas — and its leader in Gaza, Yehiya Sinwar — would welcome a major, protracted battle in Rafah that is destructive and deadly, according to a senior administration official, because it would further isolate Israel.
Sinwar is hiding in Khan Yunis
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/389845
US and Israeli officials cited in the report said Sinwar is hiding near hostages, using them as human shields. American officials believe Israel has comparable or superior intelligence on the Hamas leader’s whereabouts.
Sunday, May 12, 2024
It’s the Criminality, Stupid: Why Voters See Crooks in All Corners of Politics
https://www.wsj.com/articles/presidential-candidates-crime-politics-trump-biden-f94380b4
“Biden’s attack on Trump’s corruption is a direct hit that’s being covered fairly and honestly in the newspapers, and it’s on multiple fronts,” said Joel Benenson, a Democratic pollster who worked on Barack Obama’s and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaigns. “Whereas the attack on Hunter Biden is a bank shot. And I think direct attacks and direct hits are much more potent and are going to ring much more true.”
Partisans are equally likely to say the other candidate is ‘too corrupt’
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/15/biden-trump-corrupt-poll/
Yahoo and YouGov asked the same questions in May. Then, the gap between Biden and Trump on the “too corrupt” question was in the double digits, while “too incompetent” was in the single digits. Since then, the “corrupt” gap narrowed and the “incompetent” gap widened — thanks largely to shifts among Republicans.
What Trump promised oil CEOs as he asked them to steer $1 billion to his campaign - Corruption
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/09/trump-oil-industry-campaign-money/
Trump’s response stunned several of the executives in the room overlooking the ocean: You all are wealthy enough, he said, that you should raise $1 billion to return me to the White House. At the dinner, he vowed to immediately reverse dozens of President Biden’s environmental rules and policies and stop new ones from being enacted, according to people with knowledge of the meeting, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private conversation.
Biden Is Not the First U.S. President to Cut Off Weapons to Israel
https://www.yahoo.com/news/biden-not-first-u-president-172558453.html
Dwight D. Eisenhower threatened economic sanctions and an aid cutoff to force Israel to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula after it invaded Egypt in 1956. Gerald Ford warned that he would reevaluate the entire relationship in 1975 over what he considered Israel’s recalcitrance during peace talks with Egypt. George H.W. Bush postponed $10 billion in loan guarantees in 1991 in a dispute over settlements in the West Bank.
Saturday, May 11, 2024
Israeli military says it has weapons it needs for Rafah ground operation
Israel's military spokesman says the army has the weapons it needs to press ahead with its offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari was asked at a news conference whether the army can conduct the operation without U.S. arms.
“The army has armaments for the missions it plans, and for the missions in Rafah too — we have what we need,” Mr. Hagari said.
Biden takes fire from all sides after Israel arms move
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/4657284-biden-israel-rafah-weapons-fire-all-sides/
State Department spokesperson Matt Miller, asked at a Thursday media briefing by The Hill about the criticism that Biden should have taken action at an earlier stage to rein in Israel, said:
“Our policy responds to the facts on the ground. We made clear at the outset of this conflict we wanted to see Israel defeat Hamas. We wanted to see Israel dismantle Hamas and prevent its ability to launch the terrorist attacks of Oct. 7 again. They’ve largely succeeded in that goal.”
But Miller added, “We also respond to the increasing civilian death toll and while we’ve seen the daily count come down — because of steps that Israel’s taken that we have urged — it hasn’t come down enough.”
Answers like that underline what a complicated knot Biden is trying to unpick.
THE GAP IS WIDE — BUT WE CAN BRIDGE IT
https://mishpacha.com/the-gap-is-wide-but-we-can-bridge-it/
Since Simchas Torah, our people have been actively engaged in an existential battle against an enemy intent on destroying us. Hundreds of Israel’s precious soldiers have given their lives, and thousands have been wounded in defense of our land and its inhabitants, changing the lives of their families forever. Thousands of Israelis have been living for months with the unimaginable tension of having a child, spouse, parent, or sibling on the front lines as they await the dreaded knock on the door.
There is an unbridgeable gap between them and those of us — the vast majority of both the Israeli chareidi population and of American Jewry — who have not shared that experience and who cannot possibly imagine it. A dear friend lost his son, a reservist who was exempt from service as a father of six but nevertheless went voluntarily to the front lines. Thinking of his child who literally gave his life for the Jewish People and of the wife and children who proudly encouraged him and sent him into battle, my friend cannot bear hearing others bandy about the term “mesirus nefesh” to describe things like traveling three hours to a wedding or staying after an event to clean up. Those of us far from the front lines really have no clue what true mesirus nefesh is.
Friday, May 10, 2024
Biden's big donors fume over Israel criticism
https://www.axios.com/2024/05/10/israel-gaza-biden-rafah-donors
Mark Mellman, the president and CEO of the influential group Democratic Majority for Israel, told Axios that "there has never been a president more pro-Israel than Joe Biden but at the same time we are very concerned about what appears to be a significant shift in US policy."
He added: "There are a lot of people in the pro-Israel community who are very worried, very upset and very angry."
"We don't know what the consequences are going to be politically."
Biden’s Threat to Freeze Some Weapons Deliveries Raises Alarm in Israel
Israeli officials and analysts said Biden’s warning appeared to be a political message that in the short term wouldn’t affect Israel’s ability to wage war. But the country’s long-term ability to fight on several fronts could be threatened if the U.S. president followed through on his threat to pause more weapons deliveries if Israel launches a major assault in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. More than one million Palestinians are sheltering there from the war.
The pause risks one of the worst crises ever in Israeli-American relations, drawing comparisons to President Ronald Reagan’s decision to delay delivery of F-16 jet fighters to Israel during its bombardment of Beirut in 1981.
Netanyahu responded to Biden in a video message released on Thursday, saying, “If we need to stand alone, we will stand alone. As I’ve already said—we will fight with our fingernails.”
Loving work
Michtav M’Eliyahu (Vol 1 page 35) We are commanded to love work. He who is a craftsman and earns a living from it should not view work with contempt since it is only because of necessity that he is working and should not be jealous of the leaders and rabbis who are not working. Thus the emphasis is on loving working as the gemora (Berachos 8) states that one who benefits from his own labor is greater than one who fears G-d i.e., greater than one who benefits from Torah and the fear of G-d it contains (for example Rav who was a rosh yeshiva and leader) because of the dangers and corruption of pride
Michtav M’Eliyahu (Vol 1 page 35) And the Mishna said and hate the rabbinate because the rabbinate and leadership cause degradation although it is never possible for the world to exist without leaders and rabbis. There are times a person has to be a rabbi, but it will be for him only out of necessity, but he will hate the rabbinate to make a living from it and love the job more...
Biden’s Worst Mistake of the Gaza War
Mr. Biden repeats his mistake, coercing Israel instead of using U.S. leverage with the Arab ally that holds the cards. Qatar funds Hamas and hosts its leaders. Yet rather than apply pressure, Mr. Biden quietly extended the U.S. military’s stay at Al Udeid air base in Qatar for another decade, CNN reported in January.
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
US: Hamas claimed to accept ceasefire offer, but ‘that’s not what they did’
Miller notes that most media outlets reported Hamas’s statement that it had accepted the Qatari and Egyptian mediators’ hostage deal proposal at face value.
“I don’t blame the reporting. It’s what the [Hamas] statement said. But it’s not an accurate reflection of what happened… Hamas did not accept a ceasefire proposal. Hamas responded and in their response made several suggestions.
Why does gemora record this?
Sukkah (56b) It happened that Miriam the daughter of Bilgah apostatized and married an officer of the Greek kings. When the Greeks entered the Sanctuary, she stamped with her sandal upon the altar, crying out, Wolf! Wolf! How long wilt thou consume Israel's money! And yet thou dost not stand by them in the time of oppression! And when the Sages heard of the incident, they made her ring immovable and blocked up her alcove.
Tosefta (Sukkos 04:13) Bilgah's ring is for ever fixed and his window closed, because Miriam, the daughter of Bilgah, apostatized and married an officer of the kings of Greece, and when the Greeks entered the Temple, Miriam came and struck the top of the altar, saying to it, “Wolf, wolf, you have destroyed the wealth of Israel, and have not helped them in the time of their distress!” There are some who say that because he delayed to take up his watch, and Jeshebeab his brother came and took his place, that he is excluded for ever and Jeshebeab included for ever. Those who are neighbors to evil men receive no reward, save Jeshebeab, the neighbor of Bilgah, who received a reward.
Avos DeRabbi Nosson (01:06)“Do not bring the foot of the arrogant upon me”: This is Titus the wicked, whose bones would grind in the grave because he would raise his hands and then strike the altar with them, and say: Locus! Locus! [Latin for “the Place,” i.e., “the Omnipresent God.”] You are a King, and I am a king! Come and make war with me! How many bulls have been slaughtered for You? How many birds’ necks have been snapped for You? How much wine has been poured out for You? How much incense has been burnt for You? And yet, You are the one who destroys the whole world! As it says (Isaiah 291–2), “Oh Ariel, Ariel, the city where David camped! Through year after year, and the cycle of festivals [I will assault Ariel, and there will be groaning and sighing].”
Palestinians Thought a Cease-Fire Had Been Clinched. Then the Tanks Rolled In.
Hours after Israel’s military told them to seek a new place of safety, Gazans in the southern city of Rafah took to the streets Monday night to celebrate: At the 11th hour, Hamas said it had accepted a proposal for a cease-fire. People cheered. Sweets were passed around.
A few hours later, it became clear that the celebrations were premature. The agreement accepted by Hamas turned out to be a counteroffer that Israel hadn’t seen and wouldn’t agree to, shattering hopes of an imminent end to months of hostilities.
Reciting Hallel on Rosh Chodesh
https://torahmitzion.org/learn/reciting-hallel-rosh-chodesh/
Conclusion: On Shloshet HaRegalim (the Three Festivals), hallel is recited, and according to some opinions, this recitation isme’haTorah. In contrast, everyone agrees that on Rosh Chodesh, hallel is a minhag, but the custom of reciting the bracha is not universal. Ashkenazim do recite the bracha, but Edot HaMizrach do not.
Hallel on Rosh Chodesh
https://ph.yhb.org.il/en/05-01-12/
There is a widespread custom to recite Hallel on Rosh Chodesh. Indeed, according to the letter of the law, there is no obligation to do so, because Hallel is required only on days that are called mo’ed (appointed times), and when work is prohibited. Rosh Chodesh is called a mo’ed, but work is permitted on the day. Still, the Jewish people have accepted the practice of saying Hallel on Rosh Chodesh, in order to give expression to the sanctity of the day, which is capable of elevating one to the level of singing God’s praises. To make it clear that the Hallel of Rosh Chodesh is based on custom, and not obligatory, we omit two paragraphs that are said when reciting the complete Hallel (the complete Hallel consists of chapters 113-118 of Tehillim, and we skip 115:1-11 and 116:1-11).
Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Critics say an Aldi job ad excluded white people. We took a closer look
https://www.politifact.com/article/2024/mar/01/critics-say-an-aldi-job-ad-excluded-white-people-w/
"Statements of preference in employment, whether or not they are legally valid, tend not to categorically exclude groups protected by state and federal law," Griffin said. "Simply stated, prioritization is not the same thing as exclusion."
Money and spirituality
Lekutei Moharan (01:68) The soul originates from the same supernal source from which money issues, devolves and comes into being. Money’s origin, from which it extends downward, is undoubtedly an aspect of holiness and a source of holy influx. But afterwards, in the process of devolving, this influx acquires corporeality and becomes money. Thus the reason the soul desires money is that the soul and money share the same source.
Lekutei Moharan (01:68) It would be right for all Jews to have money. However, there is one trait that causes them to forfeit and lose it. This is a despicably evil trait, from which it is very difficult to be rescued. Even if a person wants to go free from it—in particular when his motivation is greed: so as not to lose money—this evil trait nevertheless overwhelms him in his youth and immaturity, and so he forfeits the money that he should have had. This evil trait is anger, because of which a person forfeits and loses the money he should rightfully have. For the root from which money devolves, from which it extends downward, is precisely the same as that of anger.
Lekutei Moharan (01:68) At its origin, the root from which money devolves is the source of the soul, as in “for his soul depends on it” (Deuteronomy 24:15), which is said concerning the money of a day-worker. It is also written (Lamentations 5:9), “We get our bread at the peril of our souls.” This is why the soul hungers after and desires it, as explained above. But by getting angry a person loses his soul, as in “He tears apart his soul with his anger” (Job 18:4) ; as the Zohar brings (II, 182a) .
I'm a White Man. I'm the Victim of Racism
https://www.newsweek.com/racism-race-white-privilege-1819827
In my opinion, the political left are attempting to create a division based on race, in an attempt to drive more voters towards the Democratic Party. I believe this has led to what I call a war on White people.
There are various groups who would argue that White people cannot be the victims of racism—that only people of color can be—but I consider that to be a ridiculous argument.
Trump allies plot anti-racism protections — for white people
https://www.axios.com/2024/04/01/trump-reverse-racism-civil-rights
If Donald Trump returns to the White House, close allies want to dramatically change the government's interpretation of Civil Rights-era laws to focus on "anti-white racism" rather than discrimination against people of color.
The Truth about Anti-White Discrimination
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-truth-about-anti-white-discrimination/
Many white Americans feel that discrimination against whites is on the rise. Experiments suggests otherwise
Monday, May 6, 2024
Trump’s deportation plan is modeled on ‘inhumane’ 1950s program, experts say
But when describing the operation on which Trump’s plan is built, experts commonly land on the same word: “inhumane.” The Eisenhower-era operation has been referred to as such by think tanks, scholars and historians, who also said the policy was not as successful as Swing and others claimed.
Wife should be pious
Sefer Chasidim (1015) A pious person should pray that G-d provide him a pious wife and he should not be concerned with her wealth but only her piety. That is because wealth comes from good deeds. Therefore if he marries for wealth he will eventually lose it and only benefit from it in this World, while if he marries a good person he will become wealthy but the principal reward is in the future World
Kilmeade says Biden went ‘full Hitler’ attacking Trump during Valley Forge speech
https://thehill.com/media/4395082-kilmeade-biden-full-hitler-trump-speech/
“What’s resonating is Trump is unelectable. He is not worthy of the seat. Hence the speech on Friday where the president went full Hitler that Trump is the worst thing ever, will destroy the country,” Kilmeade said Monday morning on “Fox and Friends.”
Trump admires Hitler, is infatuated with Putin, former staff claim in new book
In an excerpt from his new book “The Return of Great Powers,” published Tuesday, CNN anchor Jim Sciutto recounted speaking to multiple members of Trump’s former staff, all of whom corroborated that they frequently heard him commend the likes of North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi Jinping and, one more than one occasion, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
White House: Trump Gestapo comment echoes ‘appalling rhetoric of fascists’
“These people are running a Gestapo administration,” Trump said, according to audio obtained by The New York Times. “And it’s the only thing they have. And it’s the only way they’re going to win, in their opinion, and it’s actually killing them. But it doesn’t bother me.”
Sunday, May 5, 2024
Is Bari Weiss Embarrassed by the Intellectual Dark Web?
https://www.thedailybeast.com/is-bari-weiss-embarrassed-by-the-intellectual-dark-web
If Weiss intends to build a new alternative media with the same commitment to credibility and speaking truth to power as the old institutions, it’s on her to call out the “cranks, grifters and bigots” who claim to be in the same anti-establishment trench as her. (The Daily Beast made multiple attempts to reach Weiss for comment, but received no response.)
Rav Yechiel Perr zt”l: The SIgnificance of the Loss
Aside from his deep mehalech haLimmud and his unique Musaar insights, Rav Perr cared deeply for Klal Yisroel, helping Agunos throughout his life, standing up for the downtrodden, the poor, Baalei teshuvah, Geirim, and he stood strongly for Kiruv. He stood for Yashrus in every aspect of it. Whenever a danger to Klal Yisroel arose, he stood at the forefront to stop it. Rav Perr was one of the first to stand strong against molesters in Jewish education. He challenged others in yashrus – backing the nusach below when others did not. We, the undersigned, affirm that any individual with firsthand knowledge or reasonable basis to suspect child abuse has a religious obligation to promptly notify the secular law enforcement of that information. These individuals have the experience, expertise and training to thoroughly and responsibly investigate the matter. Furthermore, those deemed “mandated reporters” under secular law must obey their State’s reporting requirements.
Saturday, May 4, 2024
‘The Republicans Are Being Total Hypocrites
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/05/04/jerry-nadler-antisemitism-bill-00156105
Well, there are three extant definitions. One is by IHRA. One is the Nexus definition and the other is the Jerusalem definition. They’re all equally valid. They all give different examples for perceptions of antisemitism, and none of them should be enshrined into law. The chief author of the IHRA definition, Kenneth Stern, said don’t codify this. Don’t make it part of any law because these are examples that may indicate antisemitism but don’t necessarily in every case, and to enshrine it into law — he thought and a lot of other people think — would be destructive of free speech. It could make criticism, under certain circumstances, of Israeli government policy antisemitic, which it clearly isn’t.
Friday, May 3, 2024
Joe Biden, Top Democrats Turn on Pro-Palestinian Protesters
https://www.newsweek.com/joe-biden-palestinian-protests-israel-campuses-1896841
A number of leading Democratic figures are now regularly speaking out against the student pro-Palestinian protests across the country, including President Joe Biden decrying the "vandalism" and "violence" breaking out.
How an Ordinary Guy Took a $3,000 Case to the Supreme Court
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/small-claims-case-goes-to-supreme-court-b24ac380?mod=wknd_pos1
The Department of Defense employee is waiting to find out whether a missed email spells an end to his 11-year quest to get $3,000 of pay (and interest) he says was wrongly withheld during 2013 budget cuts that briefly forced him out of work.
His case would feel right at home in small-claims court. But in March, the nine justices of the highest court in the land heard oral arguments about whether the government should let him continue his fight for six days of back pay.
Now Republicans Are Blaming George Soros for Campus Protests
https://www.thedailybeast.com/now-republicans-are-blaming-george-soros-for-campus-protests
A number of Republicans are now suggesting—or in some cases, flat-out declaring—that George Soros, often the target of right-wing conspiracy theories, is funding the pro-Palestine protests on college campuses.
The dishonest — and ironic — push to blame campus protests on George Soros
But back to that “cash from Soros and his acolytes.” At no point does the Post article demonstrate how this purported cash has been critical, instead simply listing organizations that have been involved in the protests to some extent and tracing their funding back to OSF.
Reported Soros funding of anti-Israel encampments sparks antisemitic conspiracy theories
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-799583
In a post reaching almost 120,000 views, fringe conspiracy theorist David Icke similarly accused Soros of being “Israel’s man,” accusing “Ultra Zionist Sabbatian Cultists” of ‘funding both sides’ in an attempt to stir civil war in the US, all the while controlling both Biden and Trump, pointing at the ethno-religious background of high ranking members in the US administration.
Republicans Voting for Bill That Could Make 'Bible Illegal' Outrages MAGA
https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-voting-antisemitism-bill-bible-illegal-1896543
The bill drew bipartisan criticism, with both Democrats and Republicans voting against it. Critics argue the bill, if signed into law, stifles free speech that is protected by the U.S. Constitution and is overly broad in its definition of antisemitism, pointing to the definition including "claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor."
US says Hamas seized first aid shipment that entered Gaza via reopened Erez crossing
His comments follow Israel’s long-standing contention that Hamas stockpiled supplies and kept them from increasingly desperate civilians. Footage from Gaza has shown gunmen, who were reportedly linked to the terror group, stealing trucks delivering humanitarian aid from Egypt.
In February, the US diplomat who was then involved in humanitarian assistance for Gaza denied allegations that Hamas stole aid and commercial shipments into the enclave, saying that no Israeli official had presented him or the Biden administration with “specific evidence of diversion or theft of assistance.”
Thursday, May 2, 2024
US House advances bill to codify contentious and popular antisemitism definition
“Speech that is critical of Israel alone does not constitute unlawful discrimination,” The Associated Press quoted Nadler as saying during a hearing Tuesday. “By encompassing purely political speech about Israel into Title VI’s ambit, the bill sweeps too broadly.”
House passes antisemitism bill over complaints from First Amendment advocates
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), a Jewish lawmaker who has co-sponsored other bills aimed at combating antisemitism and described himself Wednesday as a “deeply committed Zionist,” urged colleagues to reject Lawler’s bill, which he characterized as “misguided” because it “threatens to chill constitutionally protected speech.”
Lawler, Moskowitz slam Greene over antisemitism bill pushback
Greene said she opposed the bill because it would define antisemitic behavior to include remarks about Jews killing Jesus, which she said went against the Bible.
Greene said she wasn’t voting for the bill because the new definition “could convict Christians of antisemitism for believing the Gospel that says Jesus was handed over to Herod to be crucified by the Jews.”
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Sacred space
Religious Jews are welll aware of the idea of holinesss regarding objects. But the idea also applies to space. For example the requirement to stand up when a rosh yeshiva or Torah is close by
We also know that certain areas belong to others and thus can not be violated. Prayer requires having restricted access to the area in front or behind someone praying.
I am interested in the fact that in many situations frum people feel it their right or obligation to interfere with others so they have maximal space. It is not only those who dig out illegal and unsafe spaces under their apartment or neighbor's apartments
Today the sidewalk in front of the shul was blocked by a car parked up against the entrance because someone was late coming to minyan because his wife needed to get to hospital to give birth and since he would have missed the minyan if he looked for a normal parking space
Also someone brought their child to minyan because his wife was tired and the child screamed all during tefila.
In addition are the tzadikim who insist on praying in the aisle or entrance so they have enough space for three steps before and after. My son told me he witnessed at Ponovich, that one rosh yeshiva's way to the bathroom was blocked by a tzadik saying a very long Amida in the isle. The gabbayim simply lifted him and stood him on a nearby bench while he continued talking with G-d. Some people seem to think' if they need something they should take it.
Trump’s apologists say it doesn’t matter if he’s guilty of insurrection. That’s not true
Proponents of law and order – who, for decades, railed against judicial decisions that freed from criminal sanction suspected and convicted criminals based on due process rights that are unconnected to guilt or innocence – now celebrate the possibility that a contemporary Benedict Arnold may hold the highest office of the land. They rejoice that the supreme court kept the former president on the ballot in all 50 states by relying on alleged constitutional rules that do not require Trump to defend himself against treason allegations.
Trump and His Apologists
https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-and-his-apologists-1437345060
July 19, 2015
The summer Trump polling spurt has nonetheless been instructive in exposing a growing problem on the political right. All too many conservatives, including some magazine editors, have been willing to overlook his hucksterism as he’s risen in the polls. They pretend that he deserves respect because he’s giving voice to some deep disquiet or anger in the American electorate.
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Fox News Quietly Deletes Hunter Biden ‘Mock Trial’ Series
Fox News appears to be taking Hunter Biden’s lawsuit threat quite seriously.
The network has quietly pulled down its six-part “mock trial” series from its digital streaming service Fox Nation after lawyers for the presidential scion warned the network of their intention to sue for defamation.
Besides quietly taking down The Trial of Hunter Biden from its streamer, the network also deleted a promotional video promising Fox News viewers an “inside look” at the “mock trial,” which was presided over by former reality-TV star Judge Joe Brown.
The scrubbing of the series, which debuted in October 2022, directly complies with the demand from Biden’s legal team—powerhouse celebrity law firm Geragos & Geragos—to delete the content immediately.
Why Are Prominent Republicans Who Despise Trump Voting for Him Anyway
If you want to understand why Donald Trump could win in 2024, look no further than Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, former Attorney General Bill Barr, and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu. These three top Republican voices who previously condemned Trump now say they plan to vote for him again this November.
G-d's partnership with tzadikim
Da'as Tevunos (336) Partnership between tzadikim and G-d in the perfecting of the world. G-d effects the world only to the degree it is prepared. Therefore the tzadikim go about making small corrections in the darkness of this world, since according to their preparation G-d provides new influence and benefits to the world.
Tzadikim are like G-d!
Bereishis Rabbah (77:01) AND JACOB WAS LEFT ALONE, etc.. It is written, There is none like unto G-d, O Jeshurun. There is none like G-d; yet who is like G-d? Jeshurun, which means the noblest and best among you. You will find that G-d anticipated in this world through the agency of the righteous everything that He will do in the Hereafter. Thus G-d will resurrect the dead, and Elijah resurrected the dead; G-d shuts up the rain, and Elijah shut up the rain; G-d will bless the little [in quantity], and Elijah blessed the little [in quantity]. God resurrects the dead and Elisha resurrects the dead; G-d remembered childless women, and Elisha remembered childless women. G-d blessed the little and Elisha blessed the little; G-d sweetened the bitter and Elisha sweetened the bitter; G-d sweetened the bitter through the agency of bitter, and Elisha sweetened the bitter through the agency of bitter.
Devarim Rabbah 10:3) The G-d of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: Ruler over men shall be the righteous, even he that ruleth in the fear of G-d And what means, ' The righteous, even he that ruleth in the fear of G-d’? The righteous have power over the same things as G-d, if one may say so. In which way? Everything that G-d does, the righteous do.3 How is this illustrated? G-d remembers barren women; Elisha, too, remembered the Shunammite woman. G-d quickens the dead; and Elisha, too, brought back to life the son of the Shunammite woman. G-d parts the seas, Elijah and Elisha, too, parted seas. G-d heals without emollients, and Elisha healed Naaman without emollients. G-d sweetens the bitter waters, and Elisha sweetened the bitter waters G-d withholds the rain, and Elijah withheld the rain.G-d causes rain to fall, and Samuel caused rain to fall,. G-d sends down fire, and Elijah brought down fire from heaven.,
Zohar (1:9b - 10a): R’ Shimon told his son that once a non-Jewish philosopher challenged him by saying: You claim that G d rules over the height of heaven and that all the angels cannot approach Him and don’t know His place. If so Yermiyahu (10:7): “Amongst all the sages in the world none can compare to You G d” does not constitute high praise since He is just being compared to mortal man? … Can I infer from this verse that only among the sages of the non Jews is there no one like G d but amongst the Jews there are those like G d? If that inference is correct that the Jewish sages are like G d - doesn’t that mean that G d is not omnipotent? If you look carefully at the verse you will see that my inference is in fact correct! R’ Shimon replied: Your deduction that some Jewish sages are comparable to G d is in fact true. Only G d can resurrect the dead - yet we find that Eliyahu and Elisha resurrected the dead. Only G d can make it rain - yet Eliyahu controlled the rain through his prayer. G d made heaven and earth - yet they were firmly established for the sake of Avraham. G d determines the course of the sun - yet Yehoshua made it stand still. G d makes decrees but so did Moshe and they were fulfilled. Furthermore G d makes decrees which are nullified by the tzadikim as we learn from Shmuel 2 23:3). In addition G d commanded them to literally follow in His ways and to be like Him in every way. The philosopher went and converted to Judaism at K’far Shekalim and he was given the name of Yossi Kattina. He studied Torah very diligently until he became one the leading sages and righteous people of that location.
Kollel required deserting family for years
The original Kollel system in Europe required the scholar leave his family for years so he would not be disturbed in his learning. according to the biography of Rav Moshe Landynski who became rosh yeshiva in Radin before being replaced with Rav Naftoli Trop.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kollel
The first kollel – in the modern sense of the term – in the Jewish diaspora was the Kovno Kollel ("Kolel Perushim"[2]) founded in Kovno (Kaunas, Lithuania) in 1877.[3][4] It was founded by Rabbi Yisrael Salanter[5] and directed by Rabbi Isaac Blaser. The ten students enrolled were required to separate from their families, except for the Sabbath, and devote themselves to studying for the Rabbinate. There was a four-year limit on one's membership in the kollel.
The question is why the mitzva of marriage and family were displaced?
The Chofetz Chaim and the Eclipse
https://torah.org/interest/chofetz-chaim-eclipse/
And the Chofetz Chaim taps again with his right hand on the table with an expression of victory, and smiling he adds, “They should come to see. It is a mitzvah to see the sun eclipsed, to actually see that a creation was actually formed [by the Creator] … And he taps lightly again with his right hand, a quiet smile …
Monday, April 29, 2024
Hunter Biden Threatens Fox News With Defamation Suit
https://www.thedailybeast.com/hunter-biden-threatens-fox-news-with-defamation-suit?ref=home?ref=home
The notice demands that Fox News—whose obsessive coverage has mentioned Hunter Biden more than 13,000 times in the last four months alone—take immediate steps to remedy scads of coverage over the last five years that Biden’s attorneys say has falsely maligned him.
Star Scientist’s Claim of ‘Reverse Aging’ Draws Hail of Criticism
Dr. Nir Barzilai, the new president of the Academy for Health and Lifespan Research and the director of the Institute for Aging Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, said Sinclair’s comment about the dog research and his commercial interest in Animal Biosciences crossed a line. “The data is not good, you’re calling it the wrong thing, and then you’re selling it,” he said. “The selling is a step too far.”
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Donald Trump is no saint, but I know why evangelicals love him
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/05/donald-trump-why-do-evangelicals-support-him
Justified or not, white evangelical Christians increasingly believe they are the most persecuted demographic in the US today. But I don’t believe that evangelicals are interested in rectifying their status as a hated demographic, and would never protest for better treatment (or consciously demonize any racial minority the way the white supremacists do). For them, being despised by the world is a badge of honor that will ensure them a heavenly reward.
No, ‘Russiagate’ Wasn’t the Hoax That Team Trump Claims It Was
https://www.cato.org/commentary/no-russiagate-wasnt-hoax-team-trump-claims-it-was
The bottom line is that, as Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz concluded in his own 2019 probe—to Durham’s and Barr’s displeasure—the FBI investigation was amply justified. True, it ultimately found no evidence of acts that rose to the level of criminal conspiracy, and neither did the Mueller probe. But let’s not forget what did happen: Russian agents did conspire to influence the election, undermine Clinton and help Trump, and Trump as well as people close to him eagerly welcomed the help. (We didn’t need the FBI or Mueller to tell us that Trump was thrilled by the WikiLeaks disclosures of hacked documents from the DNC and the Clinton campaign: he said so openly and more than once.) What’s more, some people in the Trump campaign actively worked to take advantage of Russian meddling. Mueller’s indictment of Roger Stone states that after the first WikiLeaks dump, Stone and other “senior Trump campaign officials” made moves to find out what other compromising material WikiLeaks had. The charges against Stone, on which he was ultimately convicted, had to do with obstructing the investigation; but the only reason he couldn’t be charged with conspiracy for his attempts to establish contact with WikiLeaks is that WikiLeaks is not officially classified as a Russian asset.
Saturday, April 27, 2024
In war-battered Gaza, residents grow angry with Hamas
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/27/gaza-hamas-public-support-israel/
More than six months into the war in Gaza and with dimming hopes for a cease-fire deal, Palestinians there are growing more critical of Hamas, which some of them blame for the months-long conflict that has destroyed the territory — and their lives.
Why we must accept the views of gedolim?!
https://mishpacha.com/just-plain-chutzpah/
Perhaps a brief review of Chazal’s description of the role of the gadol hador of each generation is in order.
The Ran in his derashos says that in every generation, Hashem puts His Shechinah on the gedolei hador. Just as the Shechinah was placed in the Beis Hamikdash and spread throughout Klal Yisrael, so too in every generation the Shechinah rests on the gadol hador and spreads from there to Klal Yisrael. Chazal in Masechta Bava Basra(12a) teach us that although nevuah was taken from the prophets when the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed, it was not taken from the scholars.
The Ponevezher Rav always taught his students that he lived with the words of this Chazal throughout his life. “In Europe, I accepted the words of my rebbi, the Chofetz Chaim ztz”l, as if they were the words of a navi. After coming to Eretz Yisrael, I accepted the words of the Chazon Ish ztz”l as a navi.”
He explained that he was capable of disagreeing with the Chazon Ish when it came to understanding Torah the same way he was able to disagree with Rav Akiva Eiger. But when it came to worldly matters, he said each and every word that issued from the Chazon Ish’s lips was pure brilliance and to him was “Torah miSinai.”
Friday, April 26, 2024
State Department reviewing plans to sanction IDF unit
https://www.axios.com/2024/04/26/state-department-reviewing-plans-sanction-idf-unit
A senior U.S. official said Blinken's determination that the Netzah Yehuda Battalion committed gross violations of human rights in the West Bank has not changed, but a process of consultation with Israel on the issue is now underway to examine whether it is taking steps to address this.
The U.S. official said that if these steps are not satisfactory in accordance with the Leahy law and if it appears Israel has not held soliders and officers accountable and corrected the conditions that led to the violations, the U.S. will apply the law and withhold aid to this unit.
'Israel is not a banana republic,' official says amid Blinken-Halevi controversy
On Tuesday Israel Hayom reported on Blinken making the unusual request to be briefed by Halevi one-on-one rather than as part of a meeting with the War Cabinet.
An official told Israel Hayom that a meeting between a foreign minister and a military official without a civilian official present was not common practice in international relations and therefore Netanyahu's office refused to approve a private meeting between Blinken and the chief of staff. "Israel is not a banana republic," the official said.
Biden won't sanction Israeli military units accused of human rights violations in West Bank before start of war with Hamas
The Biden administration has determined that three military battalions with the Israel Defense Forces committed "gross human rights violations" against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank but will remain eligible for U.S. military aid regardless because of steps Israel says it's taking to address the problem, ABC News has learned.
The administration assessment, which has not yet been made public, was outlined in an undated letter by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to House Speaker Mike Johnson obtained by ABC News.
The U.S. determination "will not delay the delivery of any U.S. assistance and Israel will be able to receive the full amount appropriated by Congress," Blinken wrote.
Biden Admin. won't sanction Netzach Yehuda Battalion
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/389077
The Biden Administration has backtracked and will not impose sanctions on the IDF's Netzach Yehuda Battalion, ABC News reported this morning (Friday).
According to the report, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson explaining that the decision was made in light of Israel's commitment to addressing concerns over human rights violations by the IDF in Judea and Samaria.
..According to Blinken, the administration's concerns over alleged human rights violations by the Netzach Yehuda Battalion "will not delay the delivery of any U.S. assistance and Israel will be able to receive the full amount appropriated by Congress."
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Scientist Challenges David Sinclair’s Best-Selling Book on Aging
https://www.nad.com/news/charles-brenner-critiques-david-sinclairs-best-selling-book-on-aging
Pointing out two questions on the back cover of Lifespan, Brenner answers them. The first is “is aging a disease?” Brenner’s answer is that aging is a risk factor for many diseases, but aging is not a disease itself. He follows by saying that the most powerful genetic mutations to extend lifespan in animal models have been in genes that control growth, establishing that growth and development are intricately linked with aging, suggesting that aging is inevitable.
“Is aging treatable?” Yes, says Brenner, in the sense that genes can be modified to change the rate of aging. He says, however, that it is easier to accelerate aging — by doing things like smoking or becoming overweight — than it is to slow aging. He then comments on well-known studies showing that caloric restriction (consuming fewer calories) extends the lifespan of mice. These studies suggest that fasting can treat aging, but Brenner disagrees with their framing, saying, “Caloric restriction extends animal lifespan when compared to caged animals with constant access to food. However, it is more accurate to say that unrestricted access to food is a life-shortening condition that is unlike conditions in the wild to which animals are adapted.”
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
A Science-Based Review of the World’s Best-Selling Book on Aging
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9669175/
Members of the general public and investment community have caught the longevity bug and appear to believe that major breakthroughs have been made in extending human lifespan
Lifespan, a book by Harvard scientist David Sinclair, has become an influential source of misinformation on longevity, featuring counterfactual claims about longevity genes being conserved between yeast and humans, the existence of supposed activators of these genes, and claimed successful age reversal in mice based on partial reprogramming
The book has popularized a stack of drugs and supplements with significant potential to harm the general public
The reviewer suggests that scientists and physicians emphasize to the general public that aging is known to be a highly polygenic developmental process and that the most important things that people can do to age better are to maintain high physical and mental activity
IDF rejects ‘baseless’ claim it dug mass graves at Gaza hospital; analysts also doubt charge
Hamas officials in Gaza claimed on Saturday to discover a mass grave with more than 200 bodies at a hospital in Khan Younis that was recently the target of a military raid.
The officials claimed the dead were buried in a mass grave by Israeli forces, but evidence suggested this claim was false, with the bodies having previously been buried at that same location by Palestinians amid the fighting between Israeli forces and terror operatives in the area.
The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday rejected Hamas’s allegation as “baseless.”
It said forces searching for Israeli hostages had examined bodies previously buried by Palestinians near Nasser Hospital and had returned the bodies to where they were buried after they were examined.
It has been documented that Palestinians buried their dead at the hospital grounds both before and while Israeli troops operated in the area.
Monday, April 22, 2024
Trump Is Flat-Out Lying About Having the ‘Most Secure Border in History’ as President
In a Jan. 8, 2019, address to the nation, Trump described the border under his watch as a “crisis,” and pleaded with Congress to pass most of the exact same proposals that were in the bipartisan border bill in the Senate that was negotiated by Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) with Democrats earlier this year, but ultimately rejected by Republicans.
Dershowitz: Trump 'can call me crazy American Jew,' but he may vote for Biden
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/syzzmdqxc
Dershowitz said that, despite his criticism of the current president, he may vote for Biden in the November elections and rejected Trump's description of any Jew that would vote for the president as crazy. "If he wants to call me a crazy American Jew, that's fine," he concluded.
Terrorist who murdered Jewish shepherd is arrested
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/388892
On Sunday night, the ISA, Israel Police, and IDF arrested Ahmad Dawabshe, the terrorist who murdered Binyamin Achimeir, a Jewish shepherd, in a bloody and brutal terror attack last week.
How to Wish "Happy Passover"
The traditional Ashkenazic greeting is “gut yom tov” (with “u” as in “put”). “Yom tov,” which literally means “good day” in Hebrew, denotes a holiday. In Yiddish, it is normally mangled into something that sounds more like “YON-tiff.” Thus, the greeting can sound like “gut YON-tiff” or even “gutJONtiff.” (Translated into English, the “gut yom tov” greeting is strangely redundant, meaning “good good day.”)
Sephardic Jews prefer the biblical term for a festival, “chag.” Thus, when wishing someone a joyous festival, they say “chag same’ach” (pronounced CHAG sah-MAY-ach). This greeting has its roots in the Torah, where forms of these two words are used in the commandment to rejoice on the festivals.1
Now, not all holidays are considered equal. The intermediate festival days of lesser sanctity, when many of the work restrictions are relaxed, are called Chol Hamoed. On those days, the traditional Ashkenazic greeting is “gut mo’ed” (or “gut MOY-ed”), and Sephardim say “mo’adim l’simchah,” to which some respond “chagim u’zemanim l’sason.” (As before, the Sephardic salutation has liturgical roots; these phrases are lifted straight from the holiday kiddush.)
If you want to greet someone, but are not sure what to say, just let the other person greet you first, and then repeat the greeting. Works every time.
Lastly, have you ever wondered what to wish people after Passover has ended? The traditional Yiddish Post-Passover greeting is for “a gezuntn zumer,” a healthy summer.
NYC Mayor on Columbia protests: 'We will not be a city of lawlessness'
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-798189
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he is “horrified and disgusted” with the antisemitism being spewed at and around Columbia University’s campus, according to a statement from the mayor’s office on Sunday night.
Adams said he condemns the hate speech heard during the protests such as a woman who yelled ‘We are Hamas’ and another woman who held a sign with an arrow pointing to Jewish students stating ‘Al-Qasam’s Next Targets.’
Adams said supporting an organization that threatens to kill Jews is “sickening and despicable.”
‘Antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous’: White House responds to chaos at Columbia
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/21/chaos-columbia-jewish-moskowitz-santos-white-house-00153545
“Silence is complicity,” Biden’s statement read. “Even in recent days, we’ve seen harassment and calls for violence against Jews. This blatant Antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous — and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country.”
Biden denounces antisemitism in Passover message: Reprehensible and dangerous
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/388878
“My commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad. My Administration is working around the clock to free the hostages, and we will not rest until we bring them home. We are also working to establish an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza as a part of a deal that releases the hostages and delivers desperately needed humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians. We will continue to work toward a two-state solution that provides equal security, prosperity, and enduring peace for Israelis and Palestinians. And we are leading international efforts to ensure Israel can defend itself against Iran and its proxies, including by directing the U.S. military to help defend Israel against Iran’s unprecedented attacks last weekend.”
Infected houses never happened?
The Netziv notes that we have the famous statement of the Rashby that houses were infected as a present from G-d to reveal the hidden treasures and we have the contrary statement from his son that there never was an infected house
He concludes that this halacha is actually concerned with describing the proper foundation of a Jewish home, the Caanites were merchants who as a class are prone to lashon harah, slander etc etc - as opposed to farmers. So their houses were built on immoral foundation also on idolatry. The halacha advises removing (when possible) the moral decay and replacing it with a holy foundation. However sometimes the structure needs to be totally replaced. That is why only a cohen can decided whether the infection is impure and not a talmid chachom
Interestingly the Rambam also says it is a miraculous sign indicating spiritual impurity
Sunday, April 21, 2024
Number of people seeking conversion to Judaism surges amid Gaza war
In the aftermath of these developments, a notable number of Israelis, including a substantial portion of the roughly 560,000 "unaffiliated" people in the country, reported feeling a deeper affinity to their Jewish heritage and traditions. A significant segment of this secular population, who identify as Jews but aren't recognized as such by Halacha, initiated a conversion process.
Israel aghast as US said poised to sanction IDF unit with history of abuses
Centrist war cabinet minister Benny Gantz joined the criticism, saying the infantry unit was “an integral part of the IDF” and was bound by military and international law. He added that Israel has “strong and independent” courts capable of dealing with alleged violations.
“We have great respect for our American friends, but imposing sanctions on the unit is a dangerous precedent and sends the wrong message to our shared enemies at a time of war,” Gantz said, while pledging to “take action so this decision does not pass.”
Saturday, April 20, 2024
The US is expected to announce sanctions against IDF unit for human rights abuses
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-798035
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to announce sanctions against the IDF’s Netzah Yehuda Battalion in the next few days, according to three American sources.
The sanctions are a result of human rights violations against Palestinians in the West Bank.
This will be the first time that the United States government has imposed sanctions on an Israeli military unit for its activities in the West Bank.
Fred Neulander, rabbi serving life sentence, dies in prison at 82
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-797974?obOrigUrl=true
In a case that riveted the Philadelphia area and American Jewry for years, Neulander, the founding rabbi of the 1,000-family M’kor Shalom in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, was convicted in 2002 of paying confessed killers Len Jenoff and Paul Michael Daniels to murder his wife so that he could freely carry on a love affair with former Philadelphia radio personality Elaine Soncini.
Israeli weapon damaged Iranian air defenses without detection - NYT
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-798022
An Israeli weapon launched in the strike against Iran on Friday damaged a defense mechanism responsible for detecting and destroying aerial threats near Natanz without detection, The New York Times (NYT) reported on Saturday, citing two Western and two Iranian officials.
The weapon struck an S-300 antiaircraft system at a military base in Isfahan province. Natanz is a central city in Iran and a base for Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
What the data says (and doesn’t say) about crime in the United States
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-read/2020/11/20/facts-about-crime-in-the-u-s/
Both the FBI and BJS data show dramatic declines in U.S. violent and property crime rates since the early 1990s, when crime spiked across much of the nation.
In 20 of 24 Gallup surveys conducted since 1993, at least 60% of U.S. adults have said there is more crime nationally than there was the year before, despite the generally downward trend in national violent and property crime rates during most of that period.
While perceptions of rising crime at the national level are common, fewer Americans believe crime is up in their own communities. In all 23 Gallup surveys that have included the question since 1993, no more than about half of Americans have said crime is up in their area compared with the year before.
The Making of a Hetter
Kuntress Kedushas Yisrael
The Making of a Hetter
An Analysis of the Recent
Hetter of a Giyores to a Kohen
Click Link to download
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sj37JRqPHzoAoTbMNSH1w3-SpxfZQxk2/view
Recently, many Gedolim and Roshei Yeshivos signed letters opposing a hetter that was given to allow someone who was muchzak as a kohen to marry a giyores. The Rabbonim did not mince words and blatantly called this hetter a great pirtzah in kedushas yisroel. Unfortunately, the wedding has already taken place, however the primary pirtzah is not merely the specific details of this particular hetter, rather the Rabbonim felt that the entire approach upon which the hetter was based was disturbing.
This presentation is being made in an effort to bring the details of this story to light. We welcome any response or feedback, and we would be grateful if this kuntress would provide the impetus for further clarification of the issues being raised. Much effort has been made to document factual and verifiable information, and to source the information as much as possible. The information presented is based on documents from the Beis Din being mattir, conversations with Rabbonim involved in the issue, and independent investigation of the facts presented.
We will begin with a timeline of events, after which we will present the written hetter of the Beis an analysis of this information
Friday, April 19, 2024
Iran’s State TV Laughs Off Israel’s Retaliation Attack
https://www.thedailybeast.com/irans-state-tv-laughs-off-israels-retaliation-attack?ref=home?ref=home
As reports of the Israeli attacks grabbed world headlines, an extraordinary segment unfolded on Iran’s pro-regime Press TV, where correspondent Gisoo Misha Ahmadi totally dismissed Israel’s retaliation.
“I would suggest our viewers—if they want to have a good laugh—they can check social media reports from citizens who are there, who are actually making fun of all the commotion that was made by Israeli media about a possible attack,” she said.
Ahmadi conceded that Iran is on a high state of alert and took down a series of drones that were approaching Iranian airspace but she claimed that was the extent of the threat.
“Everything is completely normal,” she said. “And people are enjoying the weekend.”
Sinai is hollow?
The gemora says that G-d held Mt Sinai over the Jews like a barrel and threaten to kill them if they didn't accept the Torah
Shabbos (88a) And they stood under the mount:15 R. Abdimi b. Hama b. Hasa said: This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, the mountain upon them like an [inverted] cask, and said to them,’If ye accept the Torah, ‘tis well; if overturnednot, there shall be your burial.
Rashi says a barrel is lethal because of the gas it contains
Sanhedrin (77a) It has been stated: If one overturned a vat upon a man who then died of suffocation, or broke open a ceiling above him, Raba and R. Zera differ One ruled that he is liable, the other that he is not.
Ben Yehoyada (Shabbos 88a) מְלַמֵּד, שֶׁכָּפָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת הָהָר כְּגִיגִית. יש להקשות למה עשאו 'כְְּגִיגִית' שחפרו ועשה בו בית קיבול כמו גִיגִית, ודי להניחו כמו שהוא למעלה מראשיהם? ואם כדי שלא יברחו וינוסו מתחתיו, מי זה יברח מיד ה'? שאם יצאו מתחתיו גם ההר ילך על גבי ראשיהם! ועוד יש כאן קושיא ידועה הלא הם קבלו ברצון לב את התורה שהקדמו נעשה לנשמע? ועוד יש להקשות אומרו שָׁם תְּהֵא קְבוּרַתְכֶם, והוה ליה למימר 'כַּאן' דהא עומדים תחת ההר? ונראה לי בס"ד כי הם קבלו תורה שבכתב כפי מה שיגידו המקראות כמו הקראין דאזלי בתר פשט המקרא, ולא היו רוצין לקבל תורה שבעל פה אשר בכל תיבה ותיבה של המקרא תולה בה תלי תלים של הלכות, ולכך אמרו 'נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע' רצונו לומר נַעֲשֶׂה כפי אשר נִשְׁמָע מן פשט המקראות. והוא יתברך כָּפָה אותם על תורה שבעל פה, ולכן עשה את הָהָר לעיניהם חפור בתוכו כמו 'גִיגִית' לרמוז להם שכל תיבה ותיבה של המקרא היא כמו גיגית שיש לה בית קיבול ומטילים לתוכה יין אשר תכיל אלף אלפים טיפות יין בקרבה, ועל מנת כן אתם חייבים לקבל את תורה שבכתב. וידוע כי המאמין בדרשות של תורה שבעל פה ורמזים אשר בזה הוא מבין דבר מתוך דבר ומוציא הלכה מתוך הלכה, הנה זה הוא 'בן עולם הבא' שהיא סוד בינה, יען כי משמעות בינה הוא כך שיבינו דבר מתוך דבר, מה שאין כן מי שאינו מודה בכך הרי זה אין לו חלק לעולם הבא! ומפורש בדברי רבינו האר"י ז"ל על מה שנאמר 'אין לו חלק לעולם הבא' היינו שישאר במלכות שהיא סוד העשיה. וזה שאמר כָּפָה הָהָר כְּגִיגִית שיש לה בית קבול, לרמוז על תורה שבעל פה שעושה לכל תיבה בית קבול שתכיל בקרבה כמה אלפים הלכות שבזאת תהיה עיקר קבלת התורה, ואמר להם אִם אַתֶּם מְקַבְּלִים הַתּוֹרָה, הידיעה היא תורה שבעל פה שעליה נאמר (איוב יא, ט) וּרְחָבָה מִנִּי יָם, מוּטָב, אִם לָאו, שָׁם, במלכות הנקראת 'שם' שה"ס [שהוא סוד] עשיה, בסוד (שמואל ב' ח, יג) וַיַּעַשׂ דָּוִד שֵׁם תִּהְיֶה קְבוּרַתְכֶם, כלומר מקום שלכם שלא תזכו לעולם הבא שה"ס בינה, אלא תשארו במלכות שנקראת 'שם'.
What's safer? Jerusalem and Tel Aviv or NYC, Chicago and San Francisco?
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/388767
Terrible and terrifying for Jews. Israelis are overwhelmingly not leaving Israel for many reasons, including the fact that many are scared to travel to the US, especially to New York City and San Francisco.
Anti-Israel Protesters Confused About Meaning of 'Ceasefire'
https://www.newsweek.com/anti-israel-protesters-confused-about-meaning-ceasefire-opinion-1891343
As a Palestinian human rights activist who supports the peaceful coexistence of Israelis and Palestinians, I am deeply troubled by the reactions of certain anti-Israel groups in the United States to the Islamic Republic of Iran's recent attack on Israel. Their exuberant celebrations and justifications for such aggression starkly contradict their professed commitment to peace and reveal a profound hypocrisy that undermines diplomacy and dialogue in the Middle East.
This weekend's Iranian attack was a calculated military aggression involving more than 300 projectiles, with around 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles, and more than 120 ballistic missiles aimed and fired directly at Israeli territory. The assault is simply a more overt continuation of the war that Iran has been waging since the 1979 seizure of power by the jihadist Ayatollahs, which it promotes in the chant: "Death to America, Death to Israel."
Iran asserts that the attack was an act of "revenge" or "punishment" against Israel for its targeted killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard General Mohammad Reza Zahedi in Damascus in recent weeks. The truth is that Iran launched this round of violence: Zahedi is known for his involvement in orchestrating the Oct. 7 massacre of more than 1,200 Jews in Israel by Hamas, including 30 Americans.
Biden urges Congress to act on Israel aid, says Iran aims ‘to destroy Israel forever’
US President Joe Biden called on Congress to immediately pass an aid package for Israel and Ukraine, in an op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.
Legislation has been stalled for months amid opposition from House Republicans fueled by former US president Donald Trump. House Speaker Mike Johnson, however, informed GOP lawmakers on Wednesday that he will begin the days-long push to hold votes on the funding packages for Israel and Ukraine, as well as one earmarked for allies in the Indo-Pacific.
While both Israel and Ukraine “can capably defend their own sovereignty, they depend on American assistance, including weaponry, to do it, and this is a pivotal moment,” Biden wrote, pointing to strikes by Iran and Russia on Israel and Ukraine over the weekend.
US and Israel meet on Rafah days after Iran’s attack
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/18/us-israel-rafah-meeting-00153043
The U.S. and Israel are holding another tense meeting on a future Rafah operation Thursday, a sign that Iran’s attack isn’t halting negotiations over Israel’s conduct in the war against Hamas.
Both sides are attending a virtual session, a senior Biden administration official and Israeli official told POLITICO, where senior leaders discuss how to target Hamas’ roughly 3,000 fighters in Rafah while protecting the city’s 1.4 million Palestinians. National security adviser Jake Sullivan is expected to lead the conversation for the Biden administration. Sullivan’s Israeli counterpart, Tzachi Hanegbi, is heading his nation’s delegation.
Russia Calls on UN to Sanction Israel
https://www.newsweek.com/russia-calls-un-sanction-israel-1891924
Russia is urging the United Nations (U.N.) to sanction Israel for failing to comply with a resolution that demanded a Gaza cease-fire during Ramadan.
U.N. Security Council Resolution 2728, which was passed by the council amid the Muslim holy month on March 25, called for an immediate halt to the hostilities, which began following the October 7 surprise attack by Hamas.
The resolution was passed by a 14-0 vote, with the United States abstaining over the omission of a clause condemning Hamas. Israel ignored the cease-fire demand, continuing its assault on Gaza through the end of Ramadan on April 9 and beyond.
Russia, which remains buried under an avalanche of its own international sanctions due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, objected to the lack of punishment for Israel during a U.N. Security Council meeting on Thursday.
America's zombie "crime wave"
https://popular.info/p/americas-zombie-crime-wave
But is there a crime wave in America? Without a doubt, people believe that crime continues to surge. A Gallup poll found that 78% of Americans believe that there was more crime in 2022 than in 2021. (Only 13% believed it declined.)
US vetoes, Security Council resolution accepting PA as full member fails to pass
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/388754
The US on Thursday vetoed a Security Council resolution to admit the Palestinian Authority as a full member state of the United Nations.
12 countries voted in favor of the resolution: Slovenia, Sierra Leone, Russia, South Korea, Mozambique, Malta, Japan, Guyana, France, Ecuador, China, and Algeria.
Two countries abstained – Britain and Switzerland.
Israel Launches Retaliatory Strike on Iran
https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-activates-air-defenses-and-cancels-flights-27b6d416
Israel retaliated overnight against Iran’s massive drone and missile attack on its territory, people familiar with the matter said—with what appeared to be a limited strike aimed at avoiding an escalatory cycle that could push the countries closer toward war.
The strike targeted the area around Isfahan in central Iran, one of the people said. Iranian media and social media reported explosions near the city, where Iran has nuclear facilities and a drone factory, and the activation of air-defense systems in provinces across the country after suspicious flying objects were detected.
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Senate squashes historic impeachment charges against Mayorkas
https://www.axios.com/2024/04/17/senate-dismisses-historic-impeachment-mayorkas-border-immigration
Senate Democrats on Wednesday quickly squashed impeachment charges against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a swift end to the GOP's attempt to oust him.
Why it matters:
Killing the charges without a full trial highlights how Democrats saw the impeachment as political theater, but Republicans argue it sets a dangerous precedent.
Senators voted along party lines to rule the articles of impeachment unconstitutional for not meeting the standard of high crimes and misdemeanors.
MAGA Media Learns in Real-Time That NYC Isn’t a Dystopian Hellscape
While speculating about the jury selection and how Trump faces an uphill climb with the largely Democratic base of New York, Glenn suddenly admitted that the city wasn’t quite what he expected based on what he’d been fed by conservative media.
In a clip flagged by journalist Jacqueline Sweet, Glenn noted that he and his crew had driven in from Philadelphia on Sunday and spent the day “exploring” New York and came to the stunning realization that the city was fairly peaceful.
“I gotta say, I thought I would see more [of a] homeless situation here,” he said. “I thought I would see a little more chaos on the streets than, um, from what I’ve been told. And I didn’t see as much as I thought I would.”
The MAGA pundit went on to speculate that New York City Mayor Eric Adams may have “cleaned up certain parts of the city” in anticipation of the press coverage Trump’s trial would bring, adding that Adams could have “shifted” undesirable elements to “other parts of the city.”
Senate dismisses Mayorkas impeachment without trial
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4600362-mayorkas-impeachment-dismissed-trial/
The Senate voted Wednesday to dismiss two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, shutting down the possibility of a lengthy Senate trial, which Republicans had demanded to bring attention to the Biden administration’s record on immigration and border security.
It marked the first time in 225 years the Senate voted to immediately dismiss impeachment charges approved by the House instead of holding a floor trial or referring the matter to a special committee to review it.
Marjorie Taylor Greene Demands Space Lasers To Combat Migrants
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is calling for the development of "space laser technology" at the U.S.-Mexico border.
"Israel has some of the best unmanned defense systems in the world," the controversial Republican congresswoman wrote on X, formerly Twitter, alongside a proposed amendment to legislation.
"I've previously voted to fund space lasers for Israel's defense. America needs to take our national security seriously and deserves the same type of defense for our border that Israel has and proudly uses," she added.
US approves Rafah op. in exchange for no Israeli counterstrikes on Iran - report
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-797675
The US has approved a potential Israeli Rafah operation in exchange for the Jewish state not conducting counterstrikes on Iran, according to a Thursday report from the Qatari newspaper The New Arab.
A senior official told The New Arab that "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu managed to obtain American approval for a military operation in Rafah, in exchange for [Israel] refraining from carrying out a wide military operation against Iran in response to its recent attack."
He claimed that "discourse of an Israeli response to Iran contradicts the desires of the American administration, and is not realistic, given the Israeli claims that the United States played the major role in repelling the Iranian attack and preventing its success."
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